I Really Rock Motherhood | Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

A lot of the time I am pretty rubbish at motherhood.

I am crabby, unreasonable, impatient, irrational, shouty, irritable, disorganised, dishevelled, busy, bored, erratic, grumpy, forgetful, selfish, stressed, self-absorbed ... I could go on ... and on ...

I am better if I manage a bit of a routine every day so that we at least have food on the table and vaguely presentable clothes and a house clean enough to reduce the risk of a major outbreak of bubonic plague.

I am better if I go to bed early, get up early, cut down on the coffee and the sugar, get some exercise and relax.

I am better when life isn't throwing curved balls or just grinding me down with all the responsibilities of adult life ...

... and there are times ... there are ... when I really, really rock motherhood ... times when I ...

1. Share My Excitement
Doesn't matter what it's about but when I get excited about conkers or snails or experiments or the newts we found under a brick or whether Fantastic Mr Fox is going to trounce horrible Boggis, Bunce and Bean - of course he is ! - a little face lights up with pure delight. Excitement is infectious.

2. Cuddle Up in the Morning
A five minute cuddle in bed and a chat and a giggle are the most beautiful way to start the day however shouty it all shortly becomes as we try to get out of the house on time.

3. Read Stories When It's Not Bed Time
Stories are sacred at bed time but stopping everything in the middle of the day for a spontaneous sit down and a great story gives an incredible feeling of togetherness.

4. Escape to the Park
Parks don't have washing machines or dishwashers or cookers or mucky floors or computers that distract mummy. And when we leave the phone at home, I am completely free in the moment to play and explore and climb and investigate and just sit and enjoy the sunshine.

5. Play Chase
Who needs toys or complicated activities?

Simple tag ... with some tickles ... always makes us laugh out loud.

6. Sing Loudly
Mummy can't sing ... at all, at all, at all ... but a raucous collective chorus of the Wheels on the Bus or our current fave All Things Bright And Beautiful brings so much pleasure.

7. Just Colour
Crafts are fun but the most utterly absorbing masterpieces are always produced when we're out and mummy has nothing but some tatty scrap paper and a few grubby crayons in her bag and mummy just sits there quietly, handing over the crayons and doesn't interfere.

8. Play Hide & Seek
So full of joy and somehow seems to capture the spirit of growing up ... little legs run off all proud in their independence to hide, safe in the knowledge that mummy will always find them and demand after much laughter a cuddle.

9. Dawdle Along
Not all of the time. Not most of the time. We do have to get places. We do have to get home and eat and wash and sleep. But just some times, dawdling along, trailing a stick, checking out the world as we go and chatting is blissful.

10. Make Believe
Sometimes it's hard, sometimes it's dull but the moments are truly special when I can escape into whatever magical world my daughter has created for herself today ...

As I said, I am rubbish at motherhood a lot of the time.

It is hard ... and childhood is hard because children have to learn it isn't always about them ... but those little 5 minutes here and the 15 minutes there throughout the day and when we can the long hours away from the demands of the house and work and the screen ... those times when I'm awesome ... they add up and I really rock motherhood, I really do ... I can see it in my daughter's eyes :-)

I would love to about those moments when you're an absolutely awesome mother ... do share them here and come and tell me about them on Twitter #awesomemom ...

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